Device for filling advancing carriers with containers

ABSTRACT

A device for feeding containers such as bottles, jars or tins into continuously advancing carriers of a conveyor for a sterilizer, said device comprising an intermediate transfer member, the containers being advanced in a row upon two or more parallel supply paths, thereafter pushed in transverse direction upon said transfer member which moves between a containerreceiving position and a container-delivering position, said containers finally being transferred to a carrier.

United States Patent Van Der Winden Aug. 29, 1972 [54] DEVICE FOR FILLING ADVANCING [56] References Cited 72 ICARRIERS WITH l(SeONTAINERS UNITED STATES PATENTS t hann l 1 :2 g ggf fi g' g 2,742,133 4/1956 Winn ..l98/27 3,500,984 3/1970 Talbot ..198/32 [73] Ass1gnee: Stork-Amsterdam N.V., Amstel- Veen, Netherlands Primary Examiner-Edward A. Sroka 22 Filed; 14 1970 Attorney-Waters, Roditi, Schwartz & NiSSCIl [21] Appl.No.: 97,502 57 ABSTRACT A device for feeding containers such as bottles, jars or Foreign Pl Priority Data tins into continuously advancing carriers of a con- Dec. 17, 1969 Netherlands ..6918903 veyor for a Sterilizer, Said device comprising an imrmediate transfer member, the containers being ad- 52 US. (:1 ..198/22 R, 198/26, 198/32 vanced in a row p two or more Parallel Supply [51 Int. Cl ..B65g 47/26 paths, thereafter Pushed in transverse direction p 5 Fi d of Search 193 22 R, 22 B, 24 2 47 said transfer member which moves between a con- 198/32 tainer-receiving position and a container-delivering position, said containers finally being transferred to a carrier.

1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figures DEVICE FOR FILLING ADVANCING CARRIE WITH CONTAINERS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a device for filling advancing carriers with containers, such as feeding tins with preserved food to the conveyor of a continuous sterilizer, comprising at least two supply paths from which the containers can be alternately slid into consecutive carriers.

It is an object of the invention to provide a device by which the transfer of the containers to the consecutive carriers can be effected from at least two supply paths fast and safe notwithstanding an uninterrupted movement of both the supply paths and the carriers.

This object is attained according to the invention in that a transfer member is positioned between the parallel supply paths said transfer member comprising at least one pocket for the containers, the latter member being movable between a container-receiving and a container-delivering position in which the containers roll from the pocket by gravity, said supply paths lying at a small distance from each other, said paths being provided with means for transferring the containers bearing thereon to the transfer member.

The containers on the supply paths may be divided into separate batches, e.g., by means of stopping members acting in a fixed time relation, said batches being in a staggered position with respect to each other in such a manner that alternately and without a break containers of the one supply path can be transferred to the transfer member. The rate at which the advancing carriers are filled is no longer limited by the time required for transferring the consecutive batches of one supply path. As a result a higher filling rate can be obtained.

SURVEY OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a cross section of a fast embodiment with a pivotally arranged transfer member;

FIG. 2 is a section of a second embodiment with a circulating transfer member;

FIG. 3 is a section through a third embodiment with a reciprocating transfer member.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the embodiment according to FIG. 1 twoparallel supply paths 1 and 2 are provided one beside the other at the same level, while thereinbetween and slightly lower a receiving gutter 3 of a transfer member is disposed. This receiving gutter turns on a shaft 4 under the influence of a hydraulic cylinder 5. In the position represented in full lines the hydraulic cylinder 5 is extended and the receiving gutter 3 is in its higherrnost position. By retracting the piston rod of the cylinder 5 the receiving gutter 3 turns on the shaft 4 into the position 3 indicated by dash lines, in which position the containers lying in this gutter roll therefrom on an inclined path 6 until they are stopped by an abutment 7. The abutment 7 turns on a shaft 8 by means of a hydraulic cylinder 9. In the position represented in full lines the piston rod of the cylinder 9 is extended and the abutment 7 lies in the path of the containers 10 rolling downwards on the inclined surface 6. By retracting the piston rod of the cylinder 9 the abutment 7 turns into the position indicated by dash lines in which the containers 10 roll down from the inclined surface 6 and land in the pockets between the consecutive suptainers 10 can be introduced between the ledges 11 at a moment that same have moved away from each other and there is plenty space to accomodate the containers. When the ledges 11 in the straight part of the conveyor get into a perpendicular adjacent position, the containers 10 are held captive thereinbetween as is known per se.

In order to transfer the containers 10 of the supply paths 1 and 2 to the receiving gutter 3 of the transfer member, alternately acting pusher beams 13 and 14 may be arranged beside the supply paths 1 and 2. The sides of the supply paths 1 and 2 which are turned toward the receiving gutter 3 can be slightly inclined and adjoin closely the oblique sides of the receiving gutter 3. The device is capable of operation at a fast rate, because each time on transferring a batch of containers from the one supply path, e.g., from the path 1, to the receiving gutter 3 the next batch of containers on the other supply path, e.g., the path 2, can be supplied and as a consequence immediately after the tilting movement of the receiving gutter 3, said next batch is ready to be transferred to the gutter 3.

According to FIG. 2 the two parallel supply paths 21 and 22 are arranged obliquely above one the other so that they are each by the side of a carrier 23 of a slantwise arranged endless conveyor 24. Swinging pusher beams 25 and 26 are arranged above the supply paths 21 and 22, which each time can slide a batch of containers 27 into a passing by carrier 23 of the preferably continuously moving conveyor 24. The action of the pusher beams 25 and 26 is tuned in such a way to the speed of the conveyor 24 that alternately carriers 23 of the conveyor are filled from the one supply path and from the other supply path. The pusher beam 26 feeds, e.g., the odd carriers 23, while the pusher beam 25 feeds the even carriers 23. The filling rate is twice as large as in the case of a single supply path. The upper sprocket wheel 28 of the conveyor 24 is closed to and slightly higher than the adjacent sprocket wheel of a conveyor 29 cooperating therewith, in such a way that the containers 27 just when the conveyor 29 passes by roll from the carrier 23 and into the spaces between the supporting ledges 30 of the conveyor 29. This may be effected fast and without the interference of auxiliary members. In order to permit of the containers 27 being easier accomodated in the carriers 23 and to facilitate their rolling movement therefrom the carriers 23 have a shallow V profile. The front side is shorter than the back side, whereby the carriers can be arranged in the close vicinity of one another and do not hinder each other on passing by the sprocket wheel. When the containers roll from the carriers 23 the back side of preceding carrier 23 constitutes an inclined surface on which the containers roll from the carrier into the pocket between the ledges 30.

According to FIG. 3 the two parallel supply paths 31 33 and 34, respectively. The two supply paths are situated beside the motion path of the transfer member 35 which is movable parallelly to itself along a steeply inclined path. The transfer member 35 has two beams 36 and 37 situated above one the other which can receive a row of containers 38 on their upper side. The transfer member 35 is connected by two parallel pivoted arms 39 and 40 with a stationary part of the device and is moved up and down in a known way, e.g., by means of a crank mechanism. The arms 39 and 40 constitute a parallelogram-linkage.

On the side of the transfer member 35 opposite the two supply paths 31 and 32 a guide surface 41 is stationary mounted which has a slit-shaped opening 42 for letting through a row of containers. The opening 42 is in the vicinity of a sprocket wheel of a conveyor 43 with ledges 44 and extends parallelly to the spaces between two ledges 44.

In the represented lowermost position of the transfer member 35 the pusher beam 33 can slide a row of containers 38 of the conveyor 31 into the space between the two beams 36 and 37 of the transfer member 35, while a row of containers situated on the upper beam 37 can roll through the opening 42 into the space between two ledges 44 of the conveyor 43. When the transfer member 35 moves upwards the upper beam 37 reaches the extreme position 37' indicated by dash lines. In this position-the pusher beam 34 of the supply path 32 can transfer a row of containers 38 to the beam 37, while the row of containers bearing on the beam 36 has arrived before the opening 42 of the guide beam 41 and the containers roll through the opening into the space between two ledges 44 of the conveyor 43. When the transfer member 35 moves downwards, the containers on the beam 37 move downwards along the guide beam 41 until] they land before the opening 42 and can roll therethrough.

What [claim is:

1. A device for filling advancing carriers with containers, such as feeding tins with preserved food to the conveyor of a continuous sterilizer, comprising at least two supply paths from which the containers can be altemately slid into consecutive carriers, a transfer member being positioned between the parallel supply paths said transfer member comprising at least one pocket for the containers, the latter member being movable between a container-receiving and a container-delivering position in which the containers roll from the pocket by gravity, said supply paths being provided with means for transferring the containers bearing thereon to the transfer member, said transfer member having the shape of a pivotal gutter and being arranged between, and slightly lower than the supply paths situated at the same level, said gutter being tiltable between two positions, in one position a side wall of the gutter adjoining a downwards inclined surface which extends to the close vicinity of a receiving conveyor, and a threshold being pivotally arranged between the inclined surface and the receiving conveyor. 

1. A device for filling advancing carriers with containers, such as feeding tins with preserved food to the conveyor of a continuous sterilizer, comprising at least two supply paths from which the containers can be alternately slid into consecutive carriers, a transfer member being positioned between the parallel supply paths said transfer member comprising at least one pocket for the containers, the latter member being movable between a container-receiving and a container-delivering position in which the containers roll from the pocket by gravity, said supply paths being provided with means for transferring the containers bearing thereon to the transfer member, said transfer member having the shape of a pivotal gutter and being arranged between, and slightly lower than the supply paths situated at the same level, said gutter being tiltable between two positions, in one position a side wall of the gutter adjoining a downwards inclined surface which extends to the close vicinity of a receiving conveyor, and a threshold being pivotally arranged between the inclined surface and the receiving conveyor. 